Prowse began studying dance at the age of four. In her early twenties was dancing at a club in Paris, France when she was spotted by a talent agent and eventually signed to play the part of "Claudine" in the 1960 Walter Lang film, Can-Can. Juliet Prowse reached the height of her popularity in the 1960s, appearing alongside Elvis Presley in G.I. Blues.

Juliet Prowse was the first guest on the Muppet Show (Season 1, Episode 1). She had her own NBC sitcom for one season; 1965's Mona McCluskey was produced by George Burns.

She met Frank Sinatra on the set of "Can-Can" and for a time the two were engaged, but they split badly and Sinatra ignored her thereafter. It was around this time that Juliet received enormous publicity for her connection with Sinatra, as well as for having Hollywood's most beautiful legs. She would later show off her dancer's legs in a series of commercials for L'Eggs Pantyhose.

She died in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer, following a valiant battle with this most lethal of diseases, exactly two weeks short of her sixtieth birthday in 1996, survived by her son and her mother. Her ex-husband, TV actor John McCook who is the father of her only child, her son, reconciled with her shortly before she died after many years of acrimony.